Cougar Crowned at Del Mar in 2009

Goldstein said she was originally from the Bay Area but moved to San Diego about 20 years ago. Two friends who saw the contest mentioned in a local paper called her Sunday and told her she had to enter. By Monday she was front-runner, and the next day, a finalist.

"It was unbelievable," Goldstein said about her experiences. "A whirlwind. We need to find a reality show -- a cougar-based reality show."

The Surreal Housewives of Chicago

She remembers how she felt when she found out Wednesday morning she had won: "I was just so happy: 'Oh my god, oh my God.' "

Goldstein said she finds nothing wrong with the term "cougar."

"I think it's a fun term for older women," Goldstein said. "It puts us in a different light -- it's a young term."

For anybody wondering, the real-estate agent (Rosie Goldstein and Associates) is currently single.

"Not dating anyone right now. Why? Do you know someone?" she asked.

While Goldstein, who would only say she is "past 40," is open to dating someone her age ("Absolutely"), she has gone younger in the past.